About Our Foundation

“Miss Lee” and her History

Young Mariner’s Career Foundation (YMCF) was founded in 2017 by Lee Goldman to offer support to those seeking careers as Merchant Mariners and in the related industries.

For decades, “Miss Lee” has been a business owner, community leader, and strong supporter of first responders and essential workforce personnel. For over 30 years, she worked in sales and marketing, from entry level to eventually owning her own manufacturing company, allowing her to give back by creating jobs and opportunities for others. As a business owner, she became a strong community supporter in both Portsmouth and Norfolk, and joined the campaign teams of local leaders to give the area a voice in government.

About PAPA

Her years working in manufacturing and as a community leader in the Port of Hampton Roads introduced her to the maritime industries and essential supply chain personnel, including local military and first responders, that create the backbone of the region. She saw an opportunity to contribute and established the non-profit Pacific Atlantic Professional Academy (PAPA) to support workforce development and training opportunities in those fields.

With PAPA, Lee was able to provide direct training to support the expansion of existing maritime schools and to create, from concept to operation, two firefighting facilities for training of merchant mariners, maritime workers and any local fire department or organization that could benefit from the facility. PAPA created the framework and support to establish a fast-track entry level training and credentialing program for Merchant Mariners.

As PAPA’s facilities and programs became more self-sufficient, Miss Lee turned her focus to supporting those seeking entry into the industry. The costs of travel, training, housing, and credentials can be high. Even with tuition assistance for training, the supplemental costs can keep the goal out of reach for many. YMCF was founded to raise funds to help offset these costs and make access to a potentially life-changing career available to all. At the beginning of 2020, she dissolved PAPA, giving the assets and knowledge to the businesses and organizations it had served. Lee invested all the proceeds and her boundless energy into YMCF to create even more opportunities for those trying to launch their own careers.